In your crippled Thursday media column: Magic Johnson saves Vibe, some jokers think AOL's brand can be "tainted," another departure from the NY Daily News, schadenfreude at CBS News, and News Corp's kitchen furniture police are out in full force.

Here's a novel new concern about AOL's purchase of Huffington Post: "some Madison Avenue executives are expressing concerns about the liberal-leaning nature of the site and its potential to taint the broader AOL brand." Is the AOL brand really taintable? Consider this before answering: the "AOL brand" is shit. We will offer no further analysis on this issue.

Vibe Magazine folded during the Great Magazine Die-Off of 2009, but now its parent company has a new financial savior: Magic Johnson! As well as billionaire Clinton pal Ron Burkle! They're taking a majority stake in the company! It's shaping up to be a great story already. Ron Burkle will have so many models at his table at the relaunch party, just you wait.

The belt-tightening at the New York Daily News continues: we hear that the paper's DC bureau is down to two people, after terrorism beat writer James Gordon Meek quit earlier this week. We also hear the paper's photographers were told this week that they can no longer use company cars. Ouch.

After Jeff Fager was named the new head of CBS news this week, some (no doubt happy) insiders pointed out to P6 that EVP Paul Friedman was conspicuously passed over for the gig. Why the glee? Well, for example, "he once flew business-class to London to lay off a cameraman who was dying of cancer."

A tipster sends us this image—a note attached to a kitchenette at the WSJ offices in the News Corp building. Good to see they're dealing with the real issues.